8 Must-Have Apps for the Summer

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Summertime is all about unwinding and unplugging, but there are a
few smartphone apps that can help you get the job done. Here's a
look at what's worth downloading as the summer heats up:

FlightTrack

For those gearing up to
travel during the summer, FlightTrack
($4.99) provides real-time departure, delays and gate number
information whether you’re in transit throughout the United
States or internationally. The app will also update you on
cancellations and help you find an alternate flight. It even
syncs with your phone’s calendar, offers zoomable maps and gives
weather forecasts for destinations.

Weber's On the Grill

Nothing says summer like a good old-fashioned barbeque. The
Weber's On the Grill app comes with hundreds of classic
recipes to fire up on the grill, along with recipes for rubs,
marinades and sauces. It also boasts a built-in timer, so you
know when it’s time to flip and serve.

EWG Sunscreen Buyer's Guide

Worried about the sun, but can’t decide which sunscreen to buy at
the store? The
EWG Sunscreen Buyer's Guide app from the Environmental
Working Group includes ratings for 1,700 SPF products, including
sunscreens and SPF-labeled lip balm, makeup and moisturizer.
Analysis is based on sunscreen ingredient listings obtained
primarily from online retailers.

Summer beach reads no longer have to be in novel or e-reader
form. The Kindle
app gives users access to more than 950,000 books through
Amazon's Kindle Store, and even if you forget your e-reader at
home, Amazon Whispersync automatically syncs your last page read,
bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices (including
Kindle ), so you can pick up where you left off on another
device.

SitOrSquat: Bathroom Finder

Whether exploring different cities or spending the day in a local
park, the
SitOrSquat app helps you find nearby restrooms when you need
it most. The free app not only details where the restrooms are
located and which amenities they feature — from handicap
accessibility to changing tables — it even provides ratings and
pictures of the toilets before you go.

The Weather Channel

The app from
The Weather Channel goes beyond the program that comes with
most smartphones. It provides detailed, interactive radar maps,
extended forecasts, severe weather alerts and pinpoints your
location to provide the latest temperature updates.

Google Translate

Summer travelers can keep up with the local language of their
destinations with
Google Translate, which translates words and phrases in 50
languages. It also allows you to speak phrases and hear the
corresponding translations. If you encounter a language you're
not familiar with, Google Translate will automatically detect the
origin of the text and then translate.

Various city apps

Many cities and destinations have their own
apps that offer information for tourists. For example, the
Chicago Way app will help travelers find subway stations, coffee
shops or Wi-Fi hot spots in the Windy City.
Exotic getaway destinations are also getting in on the trend.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the southern Caribbean has
a new app that provides information, maps and video highlights
about what to do when visiting one of its 32 islands.